WORLD

20 terrorists 'neutralized' across Turkey in last week

Twenty terrorists were "neutralized" in counter-terrorism operations across Turkey between Feb. 26 and March 5, said the Interior Ministry on Monday.

The ministry said in a statement that security forces had carried out 1,079 counter-terrorism operations in the past week.

Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply that the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.

The ministry specified that seven of the neutralized terrorists were killed and five were captured while eight surrendered to authorities.

Tarik Sen, a regional "manager" of the terrorist PKK, was among the neutralized terrorists, the ministry said.

During the operations, 216 people were also arrested for aiding and abetting the PKK terrorist group, and 46 others for their suspected links to the Daesh terrorist group. Another 765 people were arrested for suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), and 37 others for links to leftist terrorist groups.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen are responsible for the July 2016 defeated coup, which martyred 250 people and injured some 2,200, as well as a longstanding plot to infiltrate and undermine the government.

In addition, 578 kilograms (nearly 1,274 pounds) of explosive ordnance, 17 hand grenades, 27 weapons, and some 55,000 pieces of ammunition were seized in nationwide counter-terrorist operations, said the ministry.

In operations across the southeastern provinces of Bingol, Bitlis, Mardin, Sirnak and Diyarbakir, as well as the northern Tokat province, 27 terrorist hideouts were also destroyed.